On Hiring: UNLV’s Reed-Francois Wastes Little Time In Promoting Kevin Kruger To Head Basketball Coach After Otzelberger Splits For Iowa State
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
It’s a classic business world challenge — hire from outside or promote from within?
Two years ago, UNLV Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois delivered T.J. Otzelberger via helicopter to the steps of the Thomas and Mack Center to replace a fired Marvin Menzies before Otzelberger left for the Iowa State head basketball coach’s job a few days ago.
Today, no aerial delivery was needed. Reed-Francois kept it in-house, elevating 37-year-old Kevin Kruger to replace Otzelberger. Some local UNLV basketball fans began rooting for UNLV hoops before Kevin Kruger was even born in 1983. The 1983 UNLV basketball team finished 29-6, 13th in final AP poll and had a point guard named Danny Tarkanian who averaged 8.5 assists a game under his famous dad and coach, Jerry Tarkanian.
The Kruger name has credibility here in Las Vegas, where Kevin’s father, Lon Kruger, coached the Runnin’ Rebels from 2004-2011 and made four NCAA Tournament appearances (2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011) and an NIT (2009). Lon Kruger is the Oklahoma coach.
Kevin Kruger completed his second year as an assistant coach under Otzelberger for UNLV after he returned to Las Vegas in April 2019. He was the point guard on UNLV’s 2007 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 team as a senior when his dad was coach here. Kevin Kruger returned to UNLV two years ago after spending three years as an assistant coach for the Sooners (2016-19).
Kruger was also an assistant coach at Northern Arizona for two seasons (2014-16) following a year as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma. He played professionally from 2007-13, making stops in Bulgaria, Italy, China, Mexico, Belgium and Germany in addition at NBA training camp invitations from the Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks. He also played with the Utah Flash and Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League before launching his coaching career.
Here’s a press release quote from Kruger before he meets the media via computers Monday at 10AM: ” I really am speechless. This is home for me and my family and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the guys on our team. We will get after it and build on the foundation that has been set.”
Kruger contract highlights:
The UNLV men’s basketball coach carousel has been spinning for the past few years. Former head coach Dave Rice was fired Jan. 10, 2016, before Chris Beard stuck around for 19 days before heading to Texas Tech. It was Menzies in 2016, Otzelberger in 2019 and now Kruger.
Five coaches in a little more than five years.
It’s a sad reflection on a once-proud college basketball program that won a national championship three decades ago and once ruled the Las Vegas sports market.
Now it’s Kevin Kruger’s turn to run the basketball program.
Here are some Twitter reactions:
PSA
